Who did you think was going to pay for it?

A local School District Superintendent just said the most ignorant thing on TV.

It had to do with a new Texas state law that mandates safety training for students before they ride the bus. They passed the law but didn’t fund it.

He said, “The state passed this law and did not fund it. So all of the expense is coming right out of local taxpayers’ pockets” (or something very close to that).

So what’s ignorant about it?

It’s really simple – if we are going to teach our kids to be safe on the bus — we pay for it! Not someone else. Imagine. Paying for what you use.

People love supporting things like “annual safety training for bus riders” because they don’t have to write the check. Sure, they pay taxes – but taxes are like credit cards – since you didn’t really have to spend money today it’s not like real money.

I think the credit card companies modeled their business after the Federal Government budget process.

In any case, I rode 5 miles a day one way to school and 5 miles back in a school bus, in the snow and I never learned a single lesson about “bus safety” except to sit down, talk quietly and “There’s the back door – go out that way if we crash.”

And I was in a school bus crash in 7th or 8th grade. Everything they taught us in 5 minutes worked and nobody was injured (even though most of the rear-roof was removed from the bus).

Anyway, I am not above spending money – even on credit when I have to. But every business in this country that lends money for interest has to give you a “truth in lending” document that tells you exactly what this transaction will cost you.

All of them except our Federal Government.

It’s easier to sign the contract when you think someone else will pay the bill.